Agenda item

To provide an overview of the New Homes & Regeneration Programme included in the Capital Programme within the MTFP and an update on the Extension of Time Claims received on three schemes where additional costs have been incurred. 

The New Homes and Regeneration Manager introduced the report and explained that it provided an overview of SDC’s New Homes and Regeneration Programme. This included an update on the current schemes within the Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP) and an update on the 3 schemes where an extension of time had been requested and additional costs were incurred.

The New Homes and Regeneration Manager drew Members’ attention to the following:

• SDC had built 251 new homes to date.
• A further 94 homes were planned and budgeted for delivery by 2025.
• SDC were actively exploring further opportunities for development.
• A budget of £3m had been allocated to acquire new land for development due to the current limited land opportunities for the Council.

The New Homes and Regeneration Manager updated the Committee on the sites within the current programme, this included:

• SDC had procured a framework agreement with E.W. Beard.
• The schemes were split into tranches in order to mitigate risk.
• The contractor’s performance would be monitored monthly through a robust set of KPI’s.
• The past 2 years had been challenging with Covid and Brexit having detrimental impacts on the supply of materials and labour.
• SDC had taken handover of 7 new homes in Minchinhampton with a further 9 bungalows in Eastington and 20 homes in Nailsworth to be received in the coming months.
• SDC had achieved an EPC rating A in the new homes in Summersfield Road. It was hoped that the tenants would see a reduction in energy costs because of this. 
• On final completion of the contract an outturn report would be presented to the Strategic Director of Resources and would further be reported to the Committee at the budget setting meeting.
• The next four sites scheduled to be completed were:

o   Gloucester street & Bradley Street, Wotton under Edge

o   Orchard Road, Ebley

o   Cambridge House, Dursley

o   Glebelands, Cam

The New Homes and Regeneration Manager gave the following answers in response to Members’ questions:

·        In relation to the Queens Drive site, there were ongoing complex legal issues.

·        Between 2019 – 2025 they had built or were planning to build 101 houses.

Councillor Jockel left the room due to an interest they disclosed at the beginning of the meeting.

Councillor Housden received the following answers in response to his questions about Item 4.4.6 on page 71 of the document pack

• Work was ongoing with the Town Council and other providers of land in the Town, it was still the intention to keep the site in the HRA.

• It was not the Chairs intention to remove the site from the HRA as it was the Committees decision to transfer the site and it would remain in the HR until a point where the Committee decided otherwise.
• The Chair expressed that it was the Councils intention to work with Stonehouse Town Council who had expressed an interest in the Ship Inn Site and with anyone else who would wish to further the project.
• Around 600 people had expressed their views in a closed question survey which only represented the views of some of Stonehouse’s residents.
• It was confirmed that Stroud District Council had spent approx. £54,672.06 on the site with regards to planning applications, legal fees, additional surveys etc.

It was agreed to share the details of the party wall issues mentioned on page 70 of the document pack outside of the meeting.

Councillor Schoemaker proposed and Councillor Miles seconded.

 After being put to a vote, the Motion was carried unanimously.

RESOLVED    To:

a)    Note the outcome of the delivery of the current New Homes Programme in particular the position with regard to the schemes at Summersfield Road, Broadfield Road & Ringfield Close

b)    Note the update provided on the programme of new council homes, with budget already approved in the MTFP, for delivery during 2022 to 2025.